International Premiere
Lin Jing-Jie’s doc is a detailed, deeply poignant tribute to one of history’s great filmmakers. King Hu (1932-1997) was a consummate film artist—a sure hand not only at directing, but also drawing, calligraphy, acting, and other arts. Lin assembles actors, choreographers, critics, scholars, producers, fellow directors, and others who knew and loved Hu; their tributes and analyses form a mosaic-like depiction.
Part I is centred on Hu as an artist, with wide-ranging discussion of masterpieces like Dragon Inn (1967) and A Touch of Zen (1971). Cast and crew members reveal the master’s grasp of film production in its many facets, while directors such as John Woo, Tsui Hark, and Ann Hui discuss the fully realized films. Part II is more biographical, taking us through a life which took Hu from China to Hong Kong, and Taiwan to California, where his unrealized final film was to be set. Lin’s film is a beautiful tribute to a wonderful man, and a must-see for lovers of East Asian cinema.
Presented by
Media Partner
Community Partner
Taiwan
2022
Mandarin
Book Tickets
Missing VIFF? Check out what's playing at the VIFF Centre
Film Studies: The Making of a Monster: James Whale's Frankenstein & Universal Horror
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Predators
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Frankenstein
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Bride of Frankenstein
Funnier, more outrageous, and just as goth as the 1931 hit, this is a black comedy about mad scientists playing god, the monstrous craving for a mate, about the ultimate male-order bride, and her indelible response to being married off to a mouldier man.
Fréwaka
A Dublin nurse is sent to a remote Irish village to care for a reclusive woman. Haunted by a dark past, her night terrors invade her reality. Aislinn Clarke delivers a chilling, feminist folk horror that favours atmosphere over jump scares.
Credits
Producer
Hsu Hui-lin, Steven Tu
Cinematography
Tan Heong-song
Editor
Lin Jing-jie, Shih Chien-yu
Original Music
Sky Lee, Weng La-fa
Director
Lin Jing-jie
Lin Jing-jie’s work has been honoured at the Asia Pacific Film Festival and the Golden Horse Awards. He received the International Critics’ Week Award at the Venice Film Festival with his 2007 film The Most Distant Course.
Filmography: The Most Distant Course (2007); The Man Behind the Book (2011); Dear Mother Earth (2011); Elena (2014)



